Happy Holidays everyone! Well another year has come and gone with this
week's program being Smackdown's best of 2005. Taz and Michael Cole are in
the Stamford, Connecticut headquarters and are essentially reviewing and
showing highlights from this past year. Ho Ho Hold on, here comes the
report!

Match 1: Triple H (c) vs. Batista- WrestleMania 21

The first highlight shown is a big one, heading back to April at
WrestleMania 21 where Batista took on Triple H for the World Heavyweight
championship. The matchup is shown in its entirety and say what you want
about Triple H, but The Game made Batista look like a main event player. We
relive the cool spot of Batista reversing The Pedigree off of the steel
steps and catapulting Hunter into the ring post, busting the champion wide
open. After Batista powers out of The Pedigree he is able to deliver a big
time Batista Bomb and takes home the world title.

This Fatal 4-Way comes from April 28 in Sheffield, England. Big Show
running wild early on as the big man stacks all three opponents in the
corner and runs into all of them. Angle, Booker, and JBL eventually overpower Show as Angle is able to Angle Slam him through the announcers table.
Show is unable to get back into the ring by the count of ten and is
eliminated. After some hard back and forth action, Angle is able to smack
Booker with a steel chair when the official is distracted and picks up the
three count. The match switches immediately to a clip where JBL misses Angle
with the Clothesline From Hell and knocks out the referee. Kurt has JBL
tapping in the Ankle Lock when Booker T runs back in and nails Angle with a
chair. Another referee runs in as JBL covers and unconscious Angle and
becomes the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.

WINNER: JBL

After the commercial break highlights from the Raw in Afghanistan tour
are shown.

Clips from the Rey Mysterio/Eddie Guerrero feud are shown, going all the
way back to when they won the tag team championships.

Match 3: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio

This match came on the very first Smackdown of 2005 going back to
January 6. What a great series of matches these two had, and this bout
starts off with lightning fast moves and reversals. Eddie gets more and
more frustrated as he is unable to put away his amigo. Eddie and Rey do the
classic pretending to be knocked out and passing the tag team belt back and
forth trying to pin the blame on the other. The finish comes when Mysterio
misses the 619 and then reverses Eddie's small package for the win.

WINNER: Rey Mysterio

The fantastic Eddie Guerrero tribute video is shown after some kind
words from Taz and Michael Cole.

The debut of The Boogey Man is recapped with many gross and odd video
clips shown. A montage of video showcasing the new talent on Smackdown: Ken
Kennedy, Kid Kash, Bobby Lashley, MNM, and The Mexicools.

Match 4: Chris Benoit (c) vs. Booker T – U.S. Championship

This match is before the Best of 7 Series when Benoit was U.S. champ.
The nasty Benoit suicide dive where his back slams off the announce table is
the first highlight shown from this October 21 contest. I still am amazed
that Benoit was not seriously injured from that bump. As we know, the finish
came when Sharmell low blowed Benoit, setting up the Scissors Kick from
Booker allowing him to capture U.S. gold. After the match highlights are
shown of Booker T turning on Benoit.

WINNER: Booker T

Match 5: Survivor Series- Team Smackdown vs. Team Raw

Randy Orton's success from this past year is discussed we are shown Bobby
Lashley, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and Batista vs. Shawn Michaels, Kane,
Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters. Lashley is eliminated by HBK first
after a Kane chokeslam. Michaels takes out Mysterio when he Super Kicks him
off of a springboard attempt. Shortly after, HBK disposes of JBL with Sweet
Chin Music as well. Now it's only Orton and Michaels left as the sole
survivors from their respective teams. After JBL distracts HBK and gets a
Super Kick for his trouble, Orton is able to hit the RKO for a Team
Smackdown victory. Undertaker's return out of the fiery coffin is
highlighted along with still images of the Orton/Taker Hell in a Cell match
from Armageddon.

Andy McNamara is a SLAM! Wrestling writer from Pickering, ON. He also
writes reports for The LAW and does the play-by-play broadcasts for Durham
College sports. MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone out their
in SLAM! Wrestling land. Andy can be reached at andymcnamara@hotmail.com.